Transport_Engineer_November_2018.pdf

(13375 KB) Pobierz
IN THIS ISSUE
❱
RCVs: green
powertrain
innovations
from left field
❱
Workshops:
Avoid pit falls;
washbay kit
Features
November 2018
10
15
16
21
24
28
30
33
COVER STORY
Blue-flame trucks
Gas-powered engines are hardly new – some of the very
first internal combustion engines were gas-fuelled – but it
is only now, with emissions all-important, that natural gas is
becoming a viable alternative to diesel, says Toby Clark
Supply side
NATURAL CHOICE
Viability of gas-powered trucks
and refuelling networks
The popularity of gas trucks is increasing along with an
extending network for refuelling them, reports Chris Tindall
Regulars
3
Comment
5
News
• Two fuel cell truck
driveline debuts
• Volvo unveils new coach
platform
• Stephen Moir of FloGas
wins IRTE fleet engineer
award
• Letter to the editor
• Reader survey
The first electric dustcarts are nearing market availability
across the UK. Their development is thanks to strict emissions
requirements, on one hand, and the initiative of a few
entrepreneurs and small manufacturers on the other.
Will Dalrymple reports
Municipal vehicles
Operational efficiency
Two concept tractor-trailer combinations unveiled recently
have claimed massive advances in operational efficiency. How
relevant are they to CV operations, asks Peter Shakespeare
Solar power, which is at the forefront of sustainable
technology, has come to trucks in the form of fuel-saving,
roof-mounted panels. Chris Tindall asks: who are they for?
PLUS:
IAA trailer news round-up
The four-axle rigid market has recently seen the arrival
of new lightweight models. Brian Weatherley lists what’s
available in the low-tare eight-legger marketplace for UK
aggregate hauliers looking for maximum payloads
Trailer specification: solar panels
36
Engineer to engineer
Axle loading
• London Fire Brigade’s
new 62-vehicle order
• McCulla saves £120k/year
with vehicle camera system
• Wincanton reports
concrete benefits with
Arocs mixers
• Rishton’s 18-tonne
hookloader bucks the trend
RAMPS, PITS AND LANES
Pit falls
39
Technology update
With no basic requirements set out in law on how a vehicle
maintenance and repair workshop should specify an inspection
pit, Kevin Swallow looks at cost-effective options for workshop
owners, as well as health and safety best practice
Particularly in winter, commercial vehicles pick up road
grime all too quickly. Keeping them clean not only improves
fleet appearance, but also helps technical inspection and
maintenance, finds Steve Banner
• Focus on axles and e-axles
with new IAA launches
• New ways to monitor tyre
pressures
Washbays
40
Legal update
November 2018
www.transportengineer.org.uk
1
Published by
The Society of Operations Engineers
President
Howard Seymour
CEng CEnv FSOE FIPlant FIRTE
Chief Executive
Bruce McGill
The Society of Operations Engineers is a
licensed member of the Engineering Council.
Registered in England
Company No 3667147
Registered Charity
No 1081753
A Company Limited by Guarantee
Registered Office
22 Greencoat Place, London SW1P 1PR
Tel: 020 7630 1111
Fax: 020 7630 6677
Email: soe@soe.org.uk
www.soe.org.uk
Editor
Will Dalrymple
Email: will.dalrymple@markallengroup.com
Contributing Editors
Steve Banner, John Challen,
Toby Clark, Laura Cork, Dan Gilkes,
Peter Shakespeare, Richard Simpson,
Kevin Swallow, Chris Tindall,
Brian Weatherley
Art Editor
Chris Charles
Production Manager
Nicki McKenna
Email: nicki.mckenna@markallengroup.com
Advertisement Manager
Craig Molloy
Email: craig.molloy@markallengroup.com
Tel: 01322 221144
Publisher
Jon Benson
Transport Engineer
is the official journal of the IRTE,
a professional sector of the SOE.
Produced on behalf of the IRTE by
MA Business
Hawley Mill, Hawley Road,
Dartford, Kent DA2 7TJ
Tel: 01322 221144
www.transportengineer.org.uk
Transport Engineer
is distributed free of charge to SOE members,
dependent on membership sector. For
non-members, the annual subscription rate
(12 issues) is £79.50 UK and EU, or £81.50
airmail outside EU. For other SOE members,
the discounted rate is £32.
Origination by
CC Media Group
Printed by
Pensord Press UK
ISSN
0020-3122
Some of the articles and guidance included in
Transport Engineer
may make a contribution
to your personal CPD requirements.
Please read our privacy policy, by visiting
http://privacypolicy.markallengroup.com.
This will explain how we process, use &
safeguard your data
Views expressed in
Transport Engineer
are
those of the writers and do not necessarily
reflect the views of The Society of Operations
Engineers or of MA Business.
© 2018 The Society of Operations Engineers
The natural option?
N
atural-gas powered drivelines are a major focus of your package this
month; they are covered in two lead magazine articles, plus a third
in the attached IRTE Conference report.
As emissions regulations on road transport tighten, gas may just offer
the best medium-term eco-alternative to diesel engines, particularly
for heavy trucks. (Those operators that still wish to reduce their carbon
footprint without changing the fleet might consider drop-in replacements
such as HVO; many modern engines have the OEMs’ blessing to run on
so-called ‘biodiesel’.)
Why gas?
First, as it is relatively clean-burning, it produces much smaller
quantities of nitrogen oxides than diesel. Emissions are a key limitation for
trucks operating in urban environments. Second, mineral gas produces
slightly less CO2 – perhaps 15% – than diesel. And there is an opportunity
for much greater reductions: gas produced from recycling food and other
wastes in anaerobic digestion facilities, ‘biogas’, could reduce that carbon
footprint by much more, up to 90-95%.
Third, the engines, and refuelling facilities, are available now (p10 and
p15, respectively). While there are a few medium-sized trucks running on
battery power scattered around Europe undergoing trials, Scania, IVECO
and Volvo currently offer heavy-duty vehicles in series production that run
on gas. Indeed, those trucks dominated the stands of at least the former
two at the IAA show in September.
Fourth, gas engine designs are continuing to be developed (p16,
supplement); profiled is a European project looking into so-called ‘lean
burn’ gas engines. They cut down the amount of gas in the combustion
mix, compared to ‘rich burn’ designs, to reduce NOx emissions.
One exciting area of commercial vehicle development with a relatively
low profile so far is alternative powertrains in refuse collection vehicles.
Several new models sport battery-electric versions, to cope with stringent
local emission regulations (p16). It is perhaps telling, though, that one of
the largest variants of these developed by Dennis Eagle and Horiba-MIRA
is powered by compressed natural gas.
Will Dalrymple
Editor
November 2018
www.transportengineer.org.uk
3

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika:

Zgłoś jeśli naruszono regulamin